Police Blotter

Police blotter reports are generally written by the authoritative agency and only edited by Shore News Network for grammar and accuracy. If you have any questions regarding the information in these reports, please contact the issuing authority.

Contractor stole $75K from Sandy victims, authorities say

Another home improvement contractor has been indicted for allegedly stealing more than $75,000 from four home owners following Superstorm Sandy. Darin Smith, 45, of the Whiting section of Manchester, was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree theft, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement Friday. Smith took money from homeowners in Long Beach Township,…

Two Ocean County Towns are “Most Italian Places” in New Jersey

Columbus Day in modern times is becoming more about celebrating Italian-American heritage than a tribute to the explorer Christopher Columbus. The change has occurred as more criticism has focused on the negative aspects of Columbus’ exploration including the enslavement of Native Americans and spread of deadly diseases. New Jersey remains heavily Italian, in terms of reported…

Missing woman, 79, found dead in wooded area, police say

TOMS RIVER — Searchers on Saturday morning discovered the body of a 79-year-old woman, who was reported missing earlier this week in Toms River, police said. There were no signs of foul play in the death of Martha Hesse, according to a statement from Toms River police. Volunteers with Toms River Fire Companies 1 and 2…

120 guns turned in during buyback in Asbury Park

ASBURY PARK — Authorities took in 120 guns Saturday and handed out $7,025 in the latest Guns for Cash program held in Monmouth County. The event allows people to hand in weapons in exchange for money without having to answer questions about how the gun was obtained, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement…

Motorcyclist arrested after plowing into 3 cops investigating fatal crash

UNION CITY — Three Union City police officers remain hospitalized Thursday after they were struck by a motorcyclist who plowed through an investigation of a fatal crash that left a 16-year-old high school student dead, officials said. The 16-year-old Union City High School student, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene after…

Lawmakers OK tougher scrutiny of N.J. group homes after death of advocate’s son

TRENTON — Eliciting wild applause and chants of “thank you” from a gathering of families at the Statehouse, the state Senate Thursday gave final approval to legislation that would impose tougher scrutiny on the operators and employees of group homes for people with developmental disabilities. The 32-0 vote sends the “Stephen Komninos Law” to Gov. Chris…

2 officers who fatally shot Toms River man cleared of any wrongdoing

TOMS RIVER – Two Toms River police officers were in the right when they shot at a man who attacked one of the officers after he was found hiding in a bathroom closet of his apartment in March, officials announced on Thursday. One of the officers, Francis Bopp, fired a shot that ended a struggle between…

Woman beat boyfriend to death with frying pans, authorities say

WOODLYNNE — A woman has been charged with beating her boyfriend to death with frying pans, authorities said. Maleia Cole, 33, was charged Saturday with murder in the killing of 35-year-old Jason Lewis, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday. Lewis was found conscious, but with injuries to his head and face that left him bleeding…

Seaside Park Bomber on Trial

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury on Tuesday watched video footage of a man with a backpack dragging two small suitcases down a street last year before a bomb went off, injuring dozens of people. The cameras in Penn Station and on the street outside trailed Ahmad Khan Rahimi as he walked downtown toward the Manhattan…

School bus driver caught reading texts while driving gets suspended (VIDEO)

OLD BRIDGE — A school bus driver was suspended Tuesday after a video surfaced showing the woman reading messages on her mobile phone while driving with students on board, according to the bus company. The video, posted Tuesday morning in a private Facebook group created for parents in Old Bridge, showed the woman driving the bus…

Driver killed in crash off Route 18 in Marlboro

MARLBORO – The driver of an SUV was killed Monday night when the vehicle veered off Route 18, crashed into trees and overturned, police said. Officers who arrived at the scene around 8:32 p.m. discovered the Nissan Xterra on the southbound side of Route 18 just north of the Route 79 overpass, Marlboro police Capt. Frederick…

Boy, 2, killed when shoplifting dad crashes SUV while fleeing, cops say

A 2-year-old boy was killed after his father crashed an SUV while speeding away from arrest after he was caught shoplifting at a Walmart in Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. Christoper J. Kuhn, 27, of Hamilton, Mercer County, paused briefly to look at his son lying in the road after the three-vehicle crash and then…

Man Awarded $750k for Slipping on Icey Seaside Heights Sidewalk

OCEAN COUNTY — A New Jersey man who cracked his skull and suffered brain injuries after slipping on an icy Seaside Heights sidewalk more than three years ago settled his lawsuit for $750,000, according to a report. Thomas Donovan, 56, of Toms River, lost his footing on untreated ice and snow Feb. 16, 2014, while he…

Police ID man who died after being pulled from surf off Long Branch

LONG BRANCH – The man who died after he was pulled from the ocean off Seven Presidents Park on Sept. 23 has been identified as a 34-year-old Piscataway man. Weining Liu was on the beach, which is a county park, with his family when he went swimming and became distressed from the currents, Long Branch police…

Memorial Dedicated to Fallen Firefighters Unveiled in Howell Township

The Fallen Firefighters Memorial was dedicated at the Monmouth County Fire Academy in Howell on Sunday morning during a moving ceremony that commemorated the courage of the 47 heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the lives and property of county residents from 1881 through 2017. Freeholder Deputy Director John P. Curley said in his…

Las Vegas gunman identified as 64-year-old Mesquite, NV man

The gunman responsible for a deadly shooting attack at a country music festival in Las Vegas has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, a resident of Mesquite, Nevada. Police say Paddock had a criminal record, but no known ties to terrorism. Authorities are now searching for the shooter”s roommate, a 62-year-old woman identified as Marilou Danley,…

Officials identify 2 killed in Neptune shooting

NEPTUNE — Officials on Saturday identified the two people found shot to death in a vehicle in Neptune. Township police were called to reports of two shooting victims around 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 500 block of Sayre Street, where they found Frantz Paraison 37, of Neptune, and Shaezeel Collins, 37, of Toms River. They were…

Man assaulted by several people at party near Rutgers University

NEW BRUNSWICK — A man described by police as affiliated with Rutgers University was assaulted by several people at a party Saturday, authorities said. The attack occurred at 5:20 p.m. on Delafield Street between Courtland and Bristol streets near the university’s College Avenue campus, Rutgers police said. The man told police he was at a party…

Taxpayers on hook for $100K in damage after inmate floods jail

TOMS RIVER — The flood in the Ocean County Justice Complex caused when an inmate flushed a jumpsuit down the toilet will cost taxpayers at least $100,000, according to a report on APP.com. In all, officials will spend about $2 million to install “low-flow” toilets that can be flushed only once per hour. Corrections officers will…

Toms River police officer dies from injuries 9 months after off-duty crash

TOMS RIVER – A township police officer who was seriously injured in a crash with a tractor-trailer while off-duty in January died on Friday, the department announced. Patrolman Brett Hansen, a member of the Toms River Police Department since 2015, died from the extensive injuries he suffered in the crash, according to an announcement on the…

O.J. Simpson released from Nevada prison

Former football star O.J. Simpson walked out of a Nevada prison early Sunday morning after serving nine years for a Las Vegas kidnapping and armed robbery. The 2007 hotel room heist in Las Vegas brought the conviction and prison time that Simpson avoided in the killings of his ex-wife and her friend after his 1995 acquittal…